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"February 2024"



Martin Way Park & Ride Flyer Stop
MWPR Flyer Stop Map

Riders of Route 620 traveling northbound to Lakewood from the Martin Way Park & Ride (Park & Ride) should board buses at the "flyer" stop, located on the northbound ramp to I-5. Northbound buses no longer enter the Park & Ride, so passengers going to Lakewood must use the "flyer" stop. This change speeds up boarding and reduces travel times.

Please note, southbound Route 620 buses to Olympia will enter the Park & Ride from the northbound I-5 on ramp, but do not stop at the "flyer" stop. Southbound buses still depart from the temporary stop location, which will continue until the permanent stop location for the southbound direction is completed.

Construction at the Park & Ride has been underway since late last year and is expected to be complete later this winter. Changes to the facility access and design will allow buses to pick up and drop off passengers more efficiently, saving time for commuters traveling between Thurston and Pierce Counties.

We appreciate everyone's patience throughout the project. Visit intercitytransit.com/construction/MWPR-improvements [ [link removed] ] for more information about the project. Please contact Customer Service at 360-786-1881 for questions or service information.

Service on Presidents Day, Feb. 19

Calendar Graphic

Local and Express bus service, Dial-A-Lift and Village Vans will operate on regular schedules on Presidents Day, Monday, Feb. 19.

Visit intercitytransit.com [ [link removed] ] or contact Customer Service at 360-786-1881 for service information.



All-Door Boarding Returns

Zero-Fare Sign with Driver

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we asked passengers to board using the rear doors as long as they didn't have accessibility needs or need to use the ramp.

We are happy to share that we're now allowing all passengers, regardless of accessibility needs, to use the front door again! This helps reduce congestion when boarding and disembarking, and allows our friendly bus drivers to interact with passengers a bit more.

In addition, our Maintenance team is removing all COVID-19 barriers from our coaches. We appreciate your cooperation and continued support.



Winter Bicycle Challenge

2024 Winter Bicycle Challenge

Intercity Transit?s Winter Bicycle Challenge encourages all Thurston County Residents to bike for any reason! Bicycling outdoors remains a great way to get the benefits of fresh air, sunlight and exercise, all of which are necessary for the health of our bodies, minds and spirits.

To participate, create an account at bcc.intercitytransit.com [ [link removed] ] and enter the miles you ride each day this month. If you have any difficulty registering, please contact [email protected].

There will be prize drawings each week, plus a bonus drawing at the end of the month for everyone who logs rides 10 days or more. Tag your biking photos with *#WinterBCC* or @BicycleCommunityChallenge [ [link removed] ] on Instagram to join our photo challenge.



New Onboard Announcements

Passenger with mobility device

About a year ago, we started a project to transform our onboard announcements after receiving feedback from members of the sight impaired community that our current onboard announcements are difficult to understand. Recognizing how critical onboard announcements are for all riders, we began working on updating our system.

Community involvement was crucial to ensure that the new announcements, including the voice used, improve upon our previous announcements. We worked closely with riders to see which voice best met the needs of our community. Clarity, volume, cadence, and pleasantness were all factors considered in the selection process.

Once a voice was chosen, we re-recorded over one thousand onboard announcements while simultaneously auditing the volume on each bus to make sure it was consistent. After this work was finished, we piloted the new announcements on Route 13, as well as several others throughout the system.

We plan to implement this change system-wide this month. This update is an example of our dedication to enhancing the overall passenger experience and making our system easier to navigate.

If you have feedback about our onboard announcements or additional questions, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 360-786-1881.



Improving Access to Intercity Transit Authority Meetings

Virtual Meeting

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we shifted all Intercity Transit Authority (ITA) meetings to a virtual format to provide access and ensure we followed the requirements of the Open Public Meetings Act while we were unable to hold meetings in-person. ITA meetings have since shifted to a hybrid format, allowing the community, stakeholders, staff, and partners to attend our meetings in-person or virtually.

Due to changes in Facebook's platform, we will no longer be streaming ITA meetings to Facebook Live as of Wednesday, Feb. 7.

After thorough testing, we?ll shift to a function in Microsoft Teams that allows more equitable access to all ITA meetings without requiring a sign-up on a third-party platform. You can attend ITA meetings in the following ways:


* *In-person* at our Administration and Operations building located at 510 Pattison St. SE in Olympia.
* *Virtually* by joining the meeting using the link provided on our website at intercitytransit.com/agency/transit-authority/meetings [ [link removed] ]. Each meeting will have a unique URL and will require you to register prior to joining. Please note, you will be muted upon entering and will not have the option to speak or turn your camera on, unless you?ve signed up previously for public comment.
* *Call in* at 844-730-0140 and enter the designated ?conference ID? number. You will find all necessary information to join on our website at intercitytransit.com/agency/transit-authority/meetings [ [link removed] ].

If you?re unable to attend the meeting in one of the previously mentioned ways, you can watch uploaded recordings of meetings from our website at intercitytransit.com/agency/transit-authority/meetings [ [link removed] ] and watch when it's convenient for you.






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